My Friend, My Lover, My Soul
by TimeLady555
Summary: Currently on hiatus. The beginning of term at Hogwarts finds Hermione working to excel at her first year as a Charms Professor, battling old prejudices, and with a surprising friendship to the surly Potions Master. Maybe sometimes age really is just a number... Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

Hermione's brows furrowed as she sat at her desk in her rooms looking over her lesson plans for the new school year. She had been working as a charms apprentice for the last few years and this was her first year as a professor. She had already written out lesson plans for the whole first term but was anxiously going over them repeatedly, her quill scratching out some bits and adding things elsewhere.

The knock on her door had her fingers reaching for her wand even as she spoke "Come in." Her posture was tense until she saw Severus come into the room.

"Severus, how may I help you?" Hermione inquired relaxing slightly.

The tall wizard moved closer to her desk his robes sweeping behind him "Minerva insisted I come escort you to the Great Hall for the start-of-term banquet." His voice conveying his annoyance with this.

Hermione just laughed "I can see that must be an incredible trial for you."

Severus scowled "If you have quite finished, I am sure Minerva would not appreciate your making us tardy."

Hermione just nodded and went into her chamber to put on a set of deep emerald green dress robes. Her wand began twirling to set her hair twisting up and keeping it in place with a gold comb in the shape of a roaring lion. She hadn't taken more than five minutes and she could already hear the potions master sighing in annoyance outside in her living room.

Hermione gave him an amused smile as she walked into the room and proceeded to sweep past him into the hallway. Severus stared after her and stalked after her, his long legs quickly bringing him to her side. The witch gave him no notice and they walked to the Great Hall in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

Hermione considered the last few years since the war, part of her was still shocked that Severus was still alive. It was pure luck that caused her to have the potions needed to keep him alive long enough to get him to Poppy. The Potions Master had not changed overmuch in the ensuing years though he had become slightly more relaxed. The fact that Hermione had become comfortable enough with him to joke and genuinely looked forward to seeing him was still an amazement to her.

Hermione looked up as they reached the Great Hall stopped, and glanced over at Severus. He raised an eyebrow at her "Will we be going in or are we just going stand out here and spend the evening staring at the doors?"

"I would not dream of depriving you of the chance to terrify the new first years with your imposing personality, Severus." She laughed and started forward pushing at the doors. Severus again was left behind her getting more annoyed every time it happened. He sighed and stomped into the room moments later passing Hermione and sitting down at the Head table.

Hermione, only seconds behind him sat at the chair beside Severus and looked out over all the students, this, she believed was going to be an excellent year.

 **A/N: Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've uploaded anything it's been a crazy few years... I know this isn't a very long chapter but I hope to have much longer ones coming. I don't have any set time for when I will be uploading new chapters, just as I can get them done. I hope you all enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Cheers rang throughout the hall as the Sorting Hat called out the different Houses the first years were being put into. As usual Gryffindor was the loudest with whoops and hollers and Hermione had to hold back a smile at the enthusiasm of her House. Severus however just scoffed at the display.

"You would think your House could at least show the appearance of dignity." He muttered to her.

"Yes, you're quite right Severus it would be much better if they were solemn and made the first years feel as if they were entering the gates of Hades." Hermione said drily.

Severus harrumphed and just crossed his arms glaring at any student that was unfortunate enough to make eye contact with him. Hermione just chuckled quietly and turned to discuss the upcoming week of school with Professor Sprout. Her attention was pulled away as Minerva stood up to give her end of the banquet speech and dismiss the students to their dorms.

As the Prefects herded all their students to the dorms Hermione made her way out of the Hall but stopped as a small body collided with hers. Looking down, Hermione saw the face of a terrified girl.

"Hello, what is your name?" Hermione leaned over smiling at the girl.

"Alice Wright, Professor." She stammered.

"Well, Miss Wright, would you like some help to your dormitory?"

At the girl's nod and confirmation that she was indeed a Slytherin Hermione led the way down to the dungeon. Hermione spent the short journey down asking her if she was excited for her first year and to be sure and let her or Professor Snape if she required anything.

"Well, here we are Miss Wright enjoy your evening with your new housemates." Hermione smiled and leaving Alice in her Prefect's capable hands left to go back to her own rooms.

Hermione walked into her rooms and made her way into the small kitchenette that each professor's chambers was equipped with making herself some tea she sat back at her desk to finally read the owl that Harry had sent her.

 _Mione,_

 _I know school starts tomorrow so I'm sure you are busy triple checking your plans for class. Ginny is running around driving herself crazy planning the wedding, it's six months away still but you would think it was tomorrow by how anxious she is…. Please tell her to calm down! She won't listen to me and is getting worked up. Anyways, write when you can, we miss you!_

 _Love you,_

 _Harry_

Hermione chuckled as she read about Ginny not at all surprised by it. She knew from previous conversations with the red head that Molly was pushing for a large wedding for her youngest and only girl. With Harry being the Boy-Who-Lived she could only imagine the pressure Ginny must be under to make the wedding perfect. With this in mind Hermione pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and penned a brief note to Ginny to make plans for the following Sunday.

"Hyperion." She called and smiled as her snowy white owl flew over from his perch and took the letter from her hands.

"Take this to Ginny please and there's no need to wait for a reply."

Hyperion hooted and flew out the window of her chambers off into the night air. With one more glance at her notes for the following day, Hermione made herself get up and go to her room so she could get some sleep.

The next morning found Hermione ignoring the rest of the professors during breakfast as she repeatedly went over her lessons for the day. She had taught classes before during her apprenticeship with Minerva but she was for the most part on her own this year and did not want to let her mentor down.

"Are you attempting to will your food into your mouth Miss Granger?" Severus inquired seriously.

Hermione looked up from her plate over at Severus "Yes, Severus that is what I'm doing and now you have broken my concentration." She responded in mock anger but her attempt at anger was ruined as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You are the epitome of adulthood Hermione, I only hope to one day reach your equal."

"It is difficult I assure you Severus. Very few people have achieved this level of sophistication it takes years of practice." Hermione grinned.

Their exchange was noticed by several at the table and Minerva hummed thoughtfully to herself as she watched. It still came as a shock to many of them how Hermione joked with the guarded Potions Master and no less of a shock how he joked back with her.

Hermione strode into her classroom to find all her first years busy chatting or playing with more gadgets from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She knew that these first classes were important to establish her authority or else the students would not respect her. Reaching the front of the classroom Hermione's eyebrow raised as none of the students had yet noticed her. Pulling her wand out she pointed it at the high ceiling of the classroom.

"Pyrotechnímata." She whispered.

Immediately multi-colored fireworks shot from her wand into the air all over the ceiling. Gasps filled the room as all the students stopped what they were doing to watch the fireworks. Forty heads turned to look at her in awe.

"Now that I have your attention, open your books to page 3 please." Hermione directed as she pushed her wand back into the sleeve of her robes.

The rest of the class went smoothly as did much of the rest of her classes for the day. However, she found that her class of fifth years that afternoon took the most effort out of her to keep in line having to deduct points from a few Hufflepuffs that continued talking during her lesson. By the end of the day she was exhausted and ready to return eat supper in her own rooms.

The tired witch had just collapsed on her sofa when there came a knock at her door.

"Come in." She called tiredly.

Severus opened the door and saw her on the sofa, legs half off it.

"You have realized the joys of teaching I presume by your poor posture and the absence of a book in your hand." Severus smirked knowingly.

Hermione just groaned in answer her eyes closed, no energy for now to spar with him. Severus moved to the kitchen and moments later Hermione heard him moving about glassware clinking together. A few minutes later he returned with cups of tea and some small sandwiches on a plate. Hermione sat up to take hers from his hands as he sat on the chair next to the sofa.

"Thank you, Severus." She murmured as she sipped at the tea, the warmth bringing a little more energy to her.

"I was wondering if you would come by tonight. Did you bring the book?" She asked.

"Of course, I brought the book. You have only been pestering me about it for the past two weeks." Severus responded even as he pulled it from his robes and handed it to her.

It had not been intentional when Hermione and Severus started spending several nights a week together in one of their chambers either reading together quietly or arguing over various topics. It had started out as Hermione asking Severus to aid her with incorporating spells into difficult potions and had just evolved from there. Neither of them would admit it but since the war neither of them slept much and when they did their dreams were often filled with nightmares. The companionship Hermione had found, helped to pass the evening hours when she could not sleep and she looked forward to their time together.

Hermione had found in Severus someone with whom she could have deep intellectual conversations and who's cutting wit gave her no end of enjoyment. The war and years of prejudice towards them for differing reasons gave them another connection and she appreciated his friendship immensely. Severus was a very guarded man and she only hoped that he would continue as time went on to feel more at ease with her and feel that he could continue to share with her. However, Hermione was content with their relationship as it stood and had come to think of him as her friend with whom she could share much.

 **Hey! I wasn't planning on uploading anything else so soon but I felt bad about the shortness of my first chapter so here is a little bit more for you all! I hope you continue to enjoy and please review! I am not intending on things moving very quickly for Hermione and Severus, right now I am just trying to figure out and set up their world. Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3

Severus looked up from the book he was reading to see that Hermione had finally dozed off in her arm chair. Her lips were parted and she snored lightly and he rolled his eyes at this, the only time she ever snored was when she fell asleep sitting up, and still she denied that she snored at all. He made no move to transfer her to her bed as he knew that any touch would scare her awake. Since the end of the war it was hard enough to get back to sleep and whenever either of them were startled awake often they woke still half back in the war. With a wave of his hand the heavy afghan laying over the back of the sofa flew up and settled gently around the sleeping witch. Another wave and all the lights turned off except for the small lamp next to the sofa. Satisfied, Severus went back to his book, his lips twitching in a barely there smile at the soft snores coming from the chair next to him.

Hermione woke with a start a few hours later breathing heavily, her hand on her wand as her eyes scanned the room. "All is well Hermione." Severus spoke softly. Hermione locked eyes with him reached out grabbing his hand to ground herself gripping it tight as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Severus just continued to watch her, his thumb softly stroking the back of her hand.

"God, Severus, it never stops, does it?" Hermione whispered back to him, her eyes heavy with memories. Severus just continued to stroke the back of her hand his dark eyes watching her as she let her head fall back against the back of her chair. Her hand, the one not in his, flicked as she murmured an incantation. Severus watched the glass bottle on her desk pour scotch into a glass with ice and gently fly over into her waiting hand. She took a drink from it and sighed.

"Read to me Sev?"

"Of course, Hermione." Severus nodded. Setting down his book and summoning the book on the coffee table that they had been reading, Severus opened it to the bookmarked page.

"'But it is certain that I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.'" Severus' quiet voice read. He read and did not stop until the first rays of dawn shown through the window. He quietly shut the book then and set it down. Hermione opened her eyes and smiled at him tiredly as he gave her hand a squeeze.

"Thank you, Severus. You did not sleep." She frowned in concern.

"It matters not Hermione, you needed me and I will be here when you need me." He stood up and stretched languorously. He was about to make his way back to his rooms to prepare for the day but Hermione spoke as she stood up, "Severus, why don't you just get ready for class here, it will be easier than going all the way back down to the dungeons."

"You know how rumors fly in this castle, Hermione." Severus stated an eyebrow raised at her.

"As if you have ever cared what others think, Severus." Hermione laughed as she went into the bedroom to change.

"Why don't you call Mipsy and have her get your clothes and some breakfast for us." She called from the room.

Severus just shook his head and did as she asked, the little house elf popping into the room with a crack.

"Master Snape, what can Mipsy be doing for you sir?" She questioned.

"Please go get some breakfast for me and Professor Granger, and a clean set of teaching robes and clothes for me from my chambers." Severus requested. Mipsy smiled and with a little bow she disappeared as quickly as she had come. Moments later she was back with Severus' clothes and then gone again. Severus wandered into the bathroom muttered a quick cleaning charm on himself and began changing. He had just finished buttoning up his shirt as Hermione walked in. His eyes traveled over her body she was only in a tank top and jeans now and he saw for the first time the tattoos she had.

Hermione stopped moving and watched him as he scrutinized in surprise the moving shapes on her skin. On the back of her right shoulder were several colorful birds that flew around chasing each other. Severus moved closer entranced his fingers reaching out to touch the other tattoos that he could see. Stars shone bright and clouds moved in a setting of Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' the water in the river rippling almost as if there was a breeze.

"I have never seen anything like this." Severus breathed, fascinated.

Hermione smiled softly "Well, you wouldn't have, I developed it."

Severus looked up quickly, surprised.

"You did? How did you do this?" His voice became excited, shocked and impressed that Hermione had come up with such a thing.

"I promise, Severus, I will tell you all about it but we must get ready for class and eat or we will be late." Hermione laughed as she moved past him to brush her teeth and finish getting ready. Severus just continued to watch for several minutes contemplating the tattoos. Shaking his head, he finished buttoning his shirt and put his robes on going back out into the living room to wait for Hermione to eat.

Hermione came out moments later and sat down with Severus and began eating quietly. He only lasted a few minutes before speaking "How many do you have?"

She looked up from her eggs and raised an eyebrow "I have seven so far. I am working on the design for an eighth though."

Severus nodded and fell back into silence, thinking. They finished breakfast and both made their way to their separate classrooms.

A piece of chalk scratched the words "Wingardium Leviosa" on the board as Hermione directed her students what page to turn to.

Hermione had just finished cleaning up after the lesson, all the students gone as she directed books to fly back into the cupboard, when a voice spoke.

"Well, well, who would have thought they would let little miss Hermione Granger become a professor." The haughty voice cut through the room.

Hermione's head snapped up at this her eyes narrowing as she caught a glimpse of the owner of the voice.

"Draco Malfoy, I hadn't realized that they had begun letting known criminals wander about freely." She said with a frosty smile.

Draco just smirked, leaning nonchalantly against the door. "You will have to work on your comebacks Granger, I am already bored of this conversation." He moved to leave and turned back for one last comment "You had better get used to seeing me around Granger, I plan to make myself at home," and leaving Hermione fuming as he sauntered off.

Severus looked up in surprise as Hermione stormed into his chambers that evening already throwing off her outer robes onto a hook on the wall.

"Did you know about this, Severus? Did you know that foul little git was going to be here?" She questioned furiously.

Severus held up a hand, "Hermione, I could not possibly have the faintest idea of what you are speaking."

"I am speaking of Draco Malfoy that is who. I cannot believe you would know and not tell me!" Hermione spoke, her hands moving through the air as if to demonstrate her anger.

Severus stood up at this and set his hands on her shoulders making her stop and look at him. "Hermione, my dear, please believe me when I say I would not do that to you. I know what memories seeing him would bring up for you," His eyes flitted to her arm where her scar was and then back to her. "Had I known that Draco would be here I would have prepared you." He stared into her eyes, willing her to believe him and trust him.

Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. "You're right, I am sorry Severus. It is just, seeing him so unexpectedly… I was not ready for it."

Severus just shook his head already knowing that just seeing Draco would cause her nightmares to be even worse tonight.

"You will say here tonight." He said resolutely. Hermione started to shake her head in protest "Severus, I will keep you up again I do not want to do that."

"You will sleep better if you are not alone, Hermione. I will sleep better knowing that you feel safe." Severus said quietly. Not waiting for another response from the witch in front of him, Severus called for Mipsy, sending her to get Hermione clothes for the evening. They had spent many evenings together during the last few years but always to read and occasionally on accident fall asleep sitting up. However, this was the first time it had been suggested that they spend the night together not just to sit in chairs and read but to sleep. Hermione chewed on her lower lip thoughts coursing through her head as she thought about the implications of this. With one final glance towards the bedroom door she pushed all the thoughts out of her mind. At least this one night she would say yes and allow herself to be comforted.

 **A/N: Hey guys! Here's another chapter! I hope you all enjoy it. Draco popped up out of nowhere and demanded a place in my story so we will see what place he will have, I have not quite decided yet. Will post again when I can!**


	4. Authors Note

**A/N: Hey everyone, I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything it has been a really crazy year! I have really struggled with this story and for the time being at least it will continue to be on hiatus. I am sorry about that! However, you guys will be hearing from me soon as I hope to be posting some chapters from a new fic I am working on in the next week. Thanks so much for all the reviews and the follows it is much appreciated. Lots of love!**


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